On Sunday 02 February 2003 19:02, Ted Harding wrote:

Hi Folks,

I suspect I am being charged for calls made to connect to BTOpenworld Anytime from Linux, though I believe I should not be!

During the past week I subscribed to BTO Anytime (using a connection from MSWin since the website would not allow access from my Linux browser). I registered, downloaded their software (which installed itself on Wobdows), and that installation worked. Dialup from Windows is done by clicking on the "BT openworld Anytime" icon (see below).

I then set up my kppp dialer (Suse-7.2) with my userid and password for CHAP authentication as specified by BT. Since then I have mostly been dialling up from Linux.

I have periodically checked my phone bill via the automated service on 0800 44 33 11 (-> "1" -> "2" -> "**" etc.). The phone bill was growing daily rather faster than I expected given the rather small number of non-dialup calls I made. The real surprise was, on returning this evening from being away since yesterday morning, I found my bill had shot up by almost 12 quid since the previous check on Friday!

This cannot be accounted for by the number of voice calls I made during that time, but could correspond to a charging rate of (approx estimate) 2-3 quid.hour for Internet dialup.

The dialup number I use for BTO Anytime is the 0808 number they supplied me with for this purpose and, as explained above, I am also authenticating by CHAP using my supplied userid and password.

The possible fly in the ointment is the statement (in the email they sent me after signing up):

"Important note: if you don't use this Anytime icon to connect to the internet you will be charged for your internet calls!" [see above]

There are similar statements in their terms and conditions:

"10.7 We may make available to you software that enables you to use the service. ... It is important that you only access the service through this software or in an alternative way permitted by us ... "

"10.9 You must use the correct dialler as explained to you during registration. You are responsible for any additional call charges incurred as a result of using an incorrect dialler."

However, in the said post-registration email, there are instructions for setting up your own dialler software, which basically specifies you use CHAP with your own userid and password, plus details of their veriaous servers.

Also, there is a news-group for Linux users of this service, and a Linux FAQ. One of the questions refers to the above "Important note:" and raises the issue of whether, by using Linux rather than the approved BT Windows icon, you will incur call charges. The answer given is that this statement by BT is false, and that charges should not be incurred.

However, all this still leaves me somewhat hanging in the air as to what the truth may really be. BT don't discuss Linux, and the FAQ is not an official document.

So I'm appealing to you folk on the list who may have been down this path before me. What's your experience? Do you know what the truth is?

With thanks, Ted.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 167 1972 Date: 02-Feb-03 Time: 19:02:47 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------ I use BT , and the number I use with both WindowsXP using the BT dialler and SuSE8.1 using Kinternet is 0808 9933001 I did receive an email saying that I didn't took advantage of the improved network achieving fastest speeds, because I don't use their dialler, but I am not charged for not using their dialler.

Why should they, in the recent history they already increased the rate with 60%, and reduced the allowed connection time. If it wasn't that I am moving back to the Netherlands in 7 months, I would switch to someone else. -- Frits Wüthrich Pentaxianado